5 Shortcuts For Catching Snook In Florida

When growing up in central Florida as a bass addict, I never thought I’d ever find a fish that was more enjoyable to pursue than a bass.

However, that quickly changed when I caught my first snook… which I concluded was essentially a bass on steroids that lives salt water.

Not only do the two species fight very similar (lots of jumps, headshakes, and aggressive runs), but they also have very similar feeding patterns.

But after years of pursuing both species while living in central Florida, I moved to the coast 12 years ago and have been completely addicted to inshore fishing for snook, redfish, and trout ever since.

And of the inshore species, snook are my primary focus due to the fact that they keep me connected to my bass fishing techniques learned while growing up and they just so happen to be excellent fighters and great table fare too.

After receiving many questions about how to catch snook since launching Salt Strong, I thought an article like this that highlights important shortcuts to catching snook in Florida would be helpful for many saltwater anglers to increase the amount of snook caught per hour of fishing.

Here Are The 5 Helpful Tips for How To Catch Snook That We’ll Cover In This Post:

Discover how to assess an area for feeding snook

Live bait is not a requirement

Use the right gear for the conditions

Fancy boats are not a requirement

Don’t be afraid of fishing in the dark…

Top 6 Snook Fishing Mistakes…

1. Discover How to Assess An Area For Feeding Snook

This is by far the most important shortcut of all, and it’s what causes most anglers to come home empty-handed… or nothing more than a measly catfish, which many believe are even worse than catching nothing at all.

To be able to consistently catch snook, it is absolutely essential to be able to quickly assess an area for it potential to be a feeding ground.

Without this knowledge, an angler will waste tons of time fishing in spots that have very little chance of success.

Fortunately, finding good snook feeding areas is not rocket science and doesn’t require a sixth sense…

In fact, you’ll be way ahead of the game if you simply focus on these 3 simple things:

Current

Structure

Bait

Yes, these three simple and easy to distinguish variables will significantly help you find good areas to catch snook… even in regions that you’ve never even been to.

Current

Snook are ambush predators that prefer to stay still and pounce on an unsuspecting prey, and current significantly helps them get more food with less effort… so they most often hang around areas that have current (kinda like how we humans get lazy at times knowing that we can simply go to a drive thru lane for food).

Structure

Just like most ambush-oriented species, snook prefer to hang around structure. And since they’re in the middle of the food chain, they like structure for two reasons…

Feeding station – Just as snook seek protection from larger predators by hanging near structure, well many of the smaller fish that snook feed upon do the exact same thing.

Protection from predators – Yes, even the big snook can fall prey to a bigger and faster predator… most notoriously dolphin which like them about as much as we do (click below to see a dolphin outwit a big snook along a shoreline).

Bait

If one could read a snook’s mind, my guess is that it is focused on only two overall objectives…

Where can I find food?

How do I not get eaten by something else?

And since food is a top thought for these snook, you better believe that they most often hold close to a food source…

So when you don’t see any signs of baitfish in an area that you’re fishing (ripples/splashes on the water, small pecks at your lure/bait, etc.), it’s typically a good idea to move on to another spot.

And to consistently find snook, it’s best to seek out spots that have ALL 3 of the listed items… current, structure, AND bait.

2. Live Bait Is NOT A Requirement

Although the TV shows most often feature guides using live bait for snook, it most certainly is not required.

I do most of my snook fishing with artificial lures throughout the year because it frees up a ton of time and energy in having to catch live bait.

In fact, we made a decision to ONLY fish with artificial lures when filming the Salt Strong music video called “Fishing In Our Soul” since our core online training course focuses on catching slams with artificial lures…

And the pressure was on because we only had 2 half days to film in an area none of us had been to in a couple months, and we really needed to get a ~20 lb snook…

And you’ll never guess where we caught the big snook shown at the 1:03 mark…

It was a flat with an oyster bar and many potholes near it (both forms of structure) that had plenty of current (max outgoing) with lots of bait on it (mullet, ballyhoo, pinfish, glass minnows, and whitebait).

All it takes is matching the right lure to the right spot… and since we already covered the spot (current + structure+ bait), now we just have to have a lure based on different combinations of those structures.

Which leads right into shortcut #2… gear recommendations.

3. Use the Right Gear For The Conditions

As stated earlier, catching snook can be done with using either artificial lures or live bait.

And it’s very important to match our gear to both the type of lure/bait we’re using as well as the area we’re fishing.

For example, it would not be practical to use a 30 lb leader on 10 lb main line to fish for snook in an inlet like Sebastian Inlet that has extremely strong current with lots of structure (too light to pull a big fish against the flow around rocks).

But it would also not be practical to use a 40 lb main line with 60+ lb leader while trying to catch a big snook on artificial lure up on a big grass flat with slow current because it would significantly hinder casting performance and it would make it tough to effectively work the bait to draw a strike.

So the lesson is… Match gear for the Conditions.

Best Fishing Line for Snook

Here’s a quick list of conditions I often fish with the respective line sizes that I typically use:

Best Bait for Snook

A snook’s feeding pattern, of course, fluctuates throughout the year and even throughout the day in many cases…

The best way to determine what bait is best to use is simply using whatever is most prevalent in the area you’re fishing at the time.

For example, we hosted a wounded warrior from TX down in southwest FL in March and we found a spot with good current, structure, and ton of pinfish… so we knew that the snook were honed in on pinfish allowing for us to easily make a fun how-to video that included a snook catch.

However, selecting the ideal live bait for snook isn’t always that easy to determine so it’s often best to catch a few different types to see which one gets the most action.

Here’s a quick like of good baits for snook:

Pilchards

Shrimp

Pinfish

Pigfish

Croakers (Atlantic)

Grunts

Mullet

Ladyfish

Ballyhoo

Any of these are great options, and it’s best to match hook size to the size of the bait being used… small bait like a shrimp will require a much smaller hook compared to a hog leg mullet.

Live Bait Tip: Hook your baits toward their nose if the current is ripping so they appear to be swimming naturally when getting pulled through the water, and hook baits towards the tail when fishing light current so you can direct the fish to swim away from you towards the structure by simply pulling on the line (see example below for a live mullet).

Note: Make sure to use circle hooks when live bait fishing for snook because they will help keep out-of-slot fish from getting injured.Best Lures for Snook

I like to simplify lure selection by categorizing options based on the holding depth the snook are holding (and I’ll just carry one or two per category to keep me focused on the most important aspects… feeding depth and presentation style).

Note: My absolute favorite way to catch snook is on a hand-made jig… click here to learn how to make your own bucktail jigs using items that you may already have.

Best Snook Rod and Reel

There are an enormous amount of options for rods these days… and it can certainly be mind-blowing for many anglers and certainly cannot be answered in a short post…

So I recommend going to a local tackle shop or two to have a local help you out if you’re confused.

But here are the two questions should be considered:

Will you be fishing heavy or light current?

Will you be using live bait or artificial lures?

If you feel that you’re answers are towards the first two options (heavy current and live bait), then getting a strong rod/reel with heavier line is probably the best bet.

But if you’ll more likely be fishing light current with artificial lures (my personal favorite), then it’s necessary to use lighter lines with sensitive rods that allow for better presentations and feel of the lure.

4. Fancy Boats Are NOT Required

One of the most common excuses I hear on why people don’t fish very often is that they would go frequently if only they had a boat… or a nicer kayak… or anything other than simply walking along the shore or paddling to a nearby mangrove line.

For example, here’s a short video showing a slot sized snook caught from my beat up paddleboard during a lunch break:

Beach Fishing for Snook

A simple walk along a beach on either coast in central to south FL can be a tremendous opportunity to catch snook from spring all the way until the end of fall (and some spots near inlets/passes can be productive in the winter).

Best of all, snook are most often cruising right along the edge of the shoreline so there is often many sight fishing opportunities to enjoy.

When beach fishing, be sure to keep in mind that snook will most often be facing into the current, so you’ll want to cast up the beach into the current so your presentation will be coming towards the snook because that’s the same direction that they’re expecting natural prey to be coming from.

And my recommendation for catching snook quickly is to use a small white jig with a red head because it works great and will save a ton of time and hassle compared to live bait fishing…

Beach Fishing Tips: Beach fishing for snook is best right after the goes up and right before it goes back down. The biggest snook seem to get right up along the shoreline at high tide, and will venture a bit further out as the water drops. And make sure to take note of any underwater structure or even the slightest change in elevation of the shoreline because even the smallest of features can be a great feeding zone.

Paddle Fishing for Snook

Given how easy it is to store, transport, and maintain a kayak or paddleboard compared to a flats boat, paddle fishing has exploded over the past 10+ years.

And it isn’t just their comparatively low costs… kayaks and paddleboards are actually extremely effective in catching many snook given how quiet they are along with the fact that they can go anywhere.

Best of all, they present an opportunity to effectively fish when time is very limited. In fact, I used to often go before and/or after work when in the corporate world… and now frequently go on long lunch breaks when the weather is too good to resist.

Here’s a quick video showing the added adventure that paddle fishing can bring to the table…

5. Don’t Be Afraid To Fish In The Dark

Although snook most certainly feed during the day, they are designed for feeding at night.

The fact that they have large eyes that sit way up on their heads with that very distinguished lateral line along its body that can sense movement in the water makes them tremendous predators at night.

And one of the most popular ways to target snook at night is by fishing around dock or bridge lights where snook congregate to pounce on the many baitfish and crustaceans that get attracted to the light.

For fishing lights at night, my absolute favorite live bait is a live ballyhoo… even the most pressured snook most often won’t turn that down.

Also, any of the live baits mentioned above can work great too.

For artificials, it can be a bit more difficult because at times because the popularity of this type of snook fishing means that they have likely seen every lure known to man multiple times.

So my tip here is to make sure to cast up current and try some retrieves that are way faster than what you normally do because this will often trigger a reaction-based bite.

Important Note: Make sure you’re very familiar with the area during the day before venturing out at night and be sure to check all lights and safety equipment before going out.

Conclusion

Snook fishing can be an incredibly fun and rewarding excursion if done properly.

And as you saw above, the ability to catch snook in Florida doesn’t require a fancy boat or any kind of sixth sense that only fishing guides possess…

All you need to focus on when in search for snook are the 3 simple core features:

Current

Structure

Bait

And then be sure to match your gear to the area your fishing along with the type of bait/lure you plan to use and know that you can have a good chance of landing a nice snook even if you only have a short amount of free time by simply getting out on the beach either early in the morning or late in the evening with a light rod/reel and a trusted jig.

Note: If you’re interested in being able to consistently catch quality slams of redfish, snook, and trout, then be sure to check out our Inshore Slammer online course… click here to see this course that is guaranteed to produce results for you.

Luke – great video. One thing I have been meaning to ask you for quite a while. I belong to a boat club, so have no access to a trolling motor. I usually fish from a skiff or bay boat.Have you ever considered doing a short course on inshore fishing from a skiff? Of course I don’t know haw many Insiders have the same issue, but it sure would be helpful to me. It might be valuable to include on your database of members how each one fishes: shore, wading, kayak, boat with trolling motor, no trolling motor, pier, etc.

I used to go with my dad fishing the backbay of Fort Myers beach. I could catch MONSTER pinfish off the end of Andremar in the boat channel off the seawall with a 202 zebco full line out each cast with a number 8 hook. He took me out a couple of times and the pinfish are too slow to fish. Sure you can catch a snook with one but getting them to bite one of those mouthful of pins is rough. They were better for Sharks which were chasing those monster pinfish around Sanibel bridge. My dad and I would freefloat shrimp, he also used a Golden Eye Maverick lure which pulled in many of these monsters mostly off the end of Doctor Whites dock.

He would give them away to friends rather than clean them. Just hook the shrimp through the mouth missing the spine with a number 6 hook. Im not too sure on the hook size since last looking at a snook setup but 20 pound test is needed. He also would not fish at just one dock with a light, he would fish at MANY docks in one morning or night when the tide was right. This is where making friends gets you more fish and always ask when you scope a spot out with a light. Make sure you ask people in the daytime and leave them a message when your on their property. This increased his chances of catching a big one and if you catch one quit and go to the next dock. Also the people who own the docks with lights deserve some of those fish if they want them 😉

He owned low profile bass boat at one time and the biggest fish off the boat were Tarpon making off with our line and pinfish at San Carlos pass. A shark I caught there as well, acting like a rock. Some monsters off the first Sanibel bridge and sneaking around with our boat under the Fort Myers Beach shrimp packing building/dock, the place had so many hogs under it, the place was scary. Oh and one giant slimy green sailcat my dad said I could not put in his boat, he told me to flip my rod up and down quick and that 40 pound sailcat fell off dripping slime down my line and swimming back off into the tide to find his gooey hiding spot again.

Oh and I almost forgot the killer water moccasin that was coming towards our boat and my stepmother screaming like a girl save the children and my dad looked at her in disgust as he flipped his bait at it and it decided to run off! ITS COMING FOR YOU!

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1 year ago

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Anonymous

Thats why you use a castnet

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1 year ago

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buddylea

Back in the late 60’s, fished off of newpass bridge in sarasota. The only lights were small at the draw. Moving closer to the shore line, I hung a lantern over the bridge about 2 feet above the water. The light attracted shiners which swam around the light in a circle. The snook would feed through the lighted area eating the shiners. Some people would use rings or small rectangular nets to catch the shines to use for bait. Basically snook are somewhat blinded by the light and only see the bright flashes on the shiners. Based on this, I used a 1/4 inch treble hook which I lowered about 10 feet below the water. As the snook would feed, I would slowly pull the treble hook up through the light and because it reflected the light brighter than the shiners, the snook would actually bite the treble hook. Using this method, I had no problem catching my legal size and limit of snook for the night. Back then the size was 18 inches and the limit was four. Kept my freezer full of snook to eat. Snook, the prime rib, filet migon of fish meat.

That’s awesome! I’ll have to try that bare hook trick out next time I’m fishing the lights.

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1 year ago

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buddylea

Please let me know how you make out. New Pass Bridge was famous for people using lanterns to lure the shiners for the snook to feed on. Some nights there would be no place to hang another lantern. I would just have to wait for people to leave so I could have a spot. As each person would pull his lantern up, the shiners moved to the next lantern, so on and so on, until I was the only lantern left and I had all the shiners swimming around the circle of light. Some nights, so thick, you would think you could walk on them. If your lantern went out or you pulled it up, the snook would go wild trying to eat the shiners before they scattered. Thank you for your reply and good luck.

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1 year ago

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buddylea

Just to add another thought. When the moon was full, too much light in the water to attract the shiners. Plus, the snook would only feed on incoming tides when there was very little moon or no moon.

I just joined your newsletter and really appreciate all the info on your site. I recently purchased a home in Jupiter, FL on a canal with a very mild current, 120′ dock on one side and mangroves on the other with 4.5 feet at high tide and 2.5 at low tide. Installed a green snook light and have drawn in the baitfish, snapper and about 3 snook consistently. The mullet come in during the run and the Jack occasionally come in and corner them and feed. The problem is I have yet to catch my first snook even as I cast into the shadow of the light. I plan on adjusting my gear to your recommendation and adding braid to the reel. Do you recommend chumming or adding bait balls to draw more fish in? Thanks in advance.

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2 years ago

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Derek

The 3″ X-Rap from Rapala in purple gold color works pretty well for us in north palm beach. We usually fish the lights around PGA near the bridge over the intracoastal. It also works at the bridge going to jupiter island near the lighthouse. We reel it in at a medium speed casting outside the light and bringing it through the light.

Super discussion! A must read for all those wishing to become great snook fishermen!

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2 years ago

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Kenneth Gladman

I really appreciate the information and videos. It looks like an absolute blast and you caught quite some nice fish. I would love to get out with my boys this year. Do you recommend live bait or lures for beginners?

Thanks for making time to leave the nice comment. For beginners, it’s often best to start with live or cut bait because there is less skill needed to get results. Here’s a link to a course that we made for introducing kids to saltwater fishing in case interested: https://www.saltstrong.com/kids-fishing/

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2 years ago

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Len

Great info here that you provided and thanks! Do you have a charter fishing service that may have a snook fishing class on location? If not,this could be very lucrative while you are fishing as well. What town in Florida are you located? Hope to meet up one day for an on the water snook fishing seminar. All The Best,Len

Hey Len, thanks for making time to leave the nice comment. I do not offer an in-person fishing class because I’ve found that the online course platform is the most effective overall because it allows everyone to go through the modules as their own convenience with the ability to ask questions any time they please.

Also, it’s nice to be able to go back over any needed sections whenever needed (even while out on the water via a smart phone).

I am going fishing for the first time this weekend with my friends and, even though I am not experienced, I really want to catch a big fish. I really found this post encouraging and informative and so I am probably going to head over to the bait shop to get some mullet and glass minnows soon so that I can catch some snook. Also, I’m really glad that you went into great detail about the different types of lures that should be used, because I hadn’t realized that the type of lure would depend on how deep the water was.

Luke
How do you rig a plastic for topwater and are Gulps capable of staying on top

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3 years ago

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Karl

Really enjoyed the article. Being from Canada and a freshwater fishing fanatic, I was in the Clearwater area last March and, on my last day there, caught several snook along the shore on Sand Key. I will be back again this year and can’t wait to do battle once again with this magnificent fish. Your tips will be put to good use. Go Jays Go!!!

Hey Karl, thanks for making time to leave a comment. I’m very pleased to see that you’re enjoying the tips and I hope to hear of some great snook catches from you when you get back down to FL this year.

Before you come back, I’d recommend signing up for our private Inshore Slammer course because it is an organized listed on our best tips and strategies for consistently catching snook, redfish, and trout… more details will always be available on our Members page for whenever you’re about to come back down: http://v2.saltstrong.com/members.

Fish On!

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3 years ago

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Garica Ward

The Snook has a most distinctive body shape. Such fishes love to hang around bridge and pier pilings, or any kind of snag. Knowing about the characteristics of fishes make fishing more perfect.

Thanks for making time to leave a nice comment Drei. I do enjoy fly fishing for snook, reds, and trout but I have not yet had a chance to focus on it in a Salt Strong post yet… coming soon though (my favorite time to fly fish is in the winter when the water is low and clear for some great sight fishing).

Hey Thomas, thanks for making time to leave a comment. I absolutely love taking traditional bass lures out after snook, reds, and trout, so will be sure to get a chaterbait out on the flats soon. Fish On!